More than 40 Israeli civilians who landed on an El Al flight at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on Wednesday were detained and had their passports confiscated.
Most Israeli passengers on the flight, including children, were taken aside to a pre-prepared area, with Russian security personnel performing a slow questioning process for everyone.
All passengers were released after two hours of questioning and fingerprinting.
This incident follows the arrest and imprisonment of 26-year-old Israeli Naama Issachar by Russian authorities for drug possession during a contact flight from India to Israel earlier this year.
Issachar's family claim that her seven-year jail sentence for possessing a small amount of cannabis was part of an effort by Moscow to press Israel into preventing the extradition a Russian hacker to the United States.
The Russian Embassy in Israel responded to the delay of the Israelis, saying "5,771 Russian tourists were not allowed to enter Israel in 2019. Every day about 20 Russian tourists arriving in Israel on an organized trip are detained and sent back to Russia. The Russian side does not respond to relevant Israeli authorities' decisions."
First published: 11:40, 12.18.19